Turbulent tremors rattle nerves up and down Pacific Coast as quake swarm continues

For those living in California, there has always been talk of “the big one”; an earthquake whose seismic shivers could sift all of civilization back to the stone age, or send Silicon Valley sailing off into the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Scientists have long been sitting squarely on the fence regarding the subject of such a disaster.  On one hand, they can’t disprove the possibility.  On the other, the probability that any of us will be alive when it occurs isn’t all that high, considering how long this tectonic friction has been going on.

But after several sizable earthquakes struck southern California last week, geologists and other scientists have had their interests piqued.

Now, just hours ago, several more quakes have been reported all up and down the west coast of the United States.

California residents felt another earthquake Friday morning, with a 4.9-magnitude quake registering Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In what appears to be the latest aftershock, Friday morning’s quake in Ridgecrest comes just days after a 6.4-magnitude quake and 7.1-magnitude quake unfurled on July 4 and 5, respectively.

That wasn’t the only unusual seismic activity that happened on the West Coast Friday morning, as a 4.6-magnitude quake hit 40 miles northeast of Seattle Friday morning, registering just southwest of Three Lakes, Washington.

While the activity swarms have certainly seemed unusual, one must remember that our Pacific Coastline is situated on the ever-daunting “Ring of Fire”; the most volcanically and seismically active region known to man.

There have been no reports of injuries with today’s earthquakes.